COVER STORY CONTINUED The Cárdenas home is filled with art, including the entryway, which boasts a collection of paintings of Frida Kahlo done by various artists. COVER STORY CONTINUED 24 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2018

was sure that they wouldn’t want me after that disaster,” he said. “But I was wrong.” Fifteen years — and many dozens of interviews — later, José relishes the platform as an opportunity to squash stereotypes and shift perspectives. For instance, he interviewed an internationally known cancer research specialist from the Mayo Clinic who was born and raised in Mexico. “We didn’t make a huge deal out of him being Mexican, but just the fact that he was sent the message,” he said. Whether it’s spotlighting bright young DREAMers or talented artists, José knows the program is increasingly relevant today. “There are still a lot of negative stereotypes, especially in today’s climate. That’s really come to the fore, unfortunately,” he said. CULTURAL CONNECTIONS They’re successful professionals, sure, but the Cárdenas family has also never forgotten their roots. Virginia spent most of her career working with recent immigrants or their children, first in the counseling department at Chandler High School and later at ASU, where she was an eighth-grade adviser in the Hispanic Mother-Daughter Program. For his part, José is actively involved in the community and serves on the board of a number of organizations, including the CALA Alliance (Celebración Artística de las Américas), which promotes Latino culture. He is a trustee of the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust and served three governors as president of the Arizona-Mexico Commission. He also served on the board of Chicanos Por La Causa, the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association. Perhaps no service has been as personal as the couple’s longstanding work with Xico, Inc., an ethnic arts organization serving Latino and indigenous artists since 1975. “For well over 30 years we were both involved,” José said. “I’m no longer on the board, but I still run their annual fundraiser dinner and art auction.” Art, particularly Latin American art, is one of José’s driving passions, as it was for his wife before she died of cancer in 2012. Virginia chaired the Arizona Commission on the Arts for a number of years and was a longtime board member of Xico. In her honor, the organization now bestows the Virginia E. Cárdenas Arts Advocate Award. A MONUMENT TO LOVE The family’s heritage comes to life in José’s warm, welcoming home. Filled from floor to ceiling with meticulously placed artwork, the house is a monument to his love for his late wife. “Virginia and I were both art lovers. We started collecting when I was in law school,” José said. Most of the home’s rooms have themes, though that was somewhat accidental. The couple started arranging pieces and then friends would give them artwork as well. Today, there is a room full of Madonnas, one filled with angels, a room of crosses as well as a Frida Kahlo-themed entryway. There’s a political room, a hallway filled with Día de los Muertos figures, and a room that celebrates Mexico. Virginia’s presence is everywhere, from the kitchen where she cooked to the bookshelves lined with her books in both English and Spanish. The patio SEPTEMBER 2018 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 25